AI-assisted summary
• The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers 34-31 to advance in the playoffs.
• Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
• Rams receiver Puka Nacua had 10 catches for 111 yards and two total touchdowns.
• The Rams defense stopped the Panthers on all three of their fourth-down attempts.

The Los Angeles Rams are moving on to the divisional round of the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams survived a 34-31 thriller Jan. 10 against the Carolina Panthers to advance to the divisional round.

The Panthers overcame a 14-0 deficit in the first half to climb back into the lead twice, the final time after a Carolina blocked punt sparked a TD drive and 31-27 lead late in the fourth quarter.

The Rams had time and the ball, however, and Stafford engineered a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive capped off by a beautiful pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to save the Rams’ season.

USA TODAY Sports examines the winners and losers from the wild-card game in Charlotte:

Winners

Matthew Stafford comes up clutch

The Rams veteran was up and down for much of the game. He injured his finger late in the second quarter and struggled for parts of the second half, but he led the Rams on a go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

Stafford is the fifth player in NFL history to have at least 300 passing yards in seven playoff games.

He averaged a league-best 276.9 passing yards per game in the regular season and threw an NFL-best and career-high 46 touchdown passes.

Rams’ fourth-down defense

The Panthers converted all three of their fourth-down attempts in a Week 13 upset win over the Rams. But Carolina’s fourth-down success rate went in the opposite direction in the wild-card game. The Panthers went 0-for-3 on fourth downs in the loss.

The Rams defense stopped Carolina on a desperation fourth down to seal the win. The unit gave up 333 total yards but stood tall on fourth downs.

Panthers’ punt-block unit

The Rams’ special teams unit has been a sore spot the entire year, and special teams hurt the Rams again against the Panthers.

Panthers linebacker Isaiah Simmons blocked Ethan Evans’ punt in the fourth quarter. The Panthers offense reached the end zone four plays later to take a 31-27 lead.  

The Rams have to shore up their special teams if they want to keep advancing in the playoffs.

Puka Nacua leads Rams passing attack

Nacua had three catches, 40 yards and a touchdown on the Rams’ opening drive. Targeting Nacua was a point of emphasis for the Rams all game.

The Rams wideout caught a backwards pass from Matthew Stafford, made couple moves by defenders and found the end zone to give L.A. a 14-0 advantage in the second quarter.

Nacua did have a crucial drop late in that second quarter that could’ve been a touchdown. However, he made up for the drop when he later dislodged a football that would’ve resulted in a Stafford interception. The Rams would end up scoring a touchdown on the possession.

Nacua finished with a game-high 10 catches for 111 yards, one touchdown catch and one rushing TD.

Losers

Trevor Etienne

The Panthers had a little momentum after a defensive stop and were able to take over possession of the football in the second quarter. But Etienne muffed a punt that was recovered by Rams special teamer Troy Reeder at Carolina’s 41-yard line.

The football bounced off Etienne face mask, and the fumble cost the Panthers a potential scoring opportunity.

Rams’ third-down efficiency in first half

The Rams had an opportunity to build a big first-half lead. Carolina had two first-half turnovers and turned the ball over on downs once. But Los Angeles went 1-for-6 on third downs and had issues sustaining drives, allowing the Panthers to claw back into the game.

The Rams converted only three of 13 third down chances overall.

Panthers run game

Carolina couldn’t get its ground game going. The Panthers averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and their three three rushing touchdowns came on short yardage situations. Chuba Hubbard led the team with 46 of their 83 rushing yards.

Rams penalties

The Rams were the least-penalized team in the NFL during the regular season.

On Saturday, though, the Rams were flagged for nine penalties for 83 yards. They were lucky the penalties didn’t comeback to bite them.

The Green Bay Packers have officially entered their offseason, and after a loss to the Chicago Bears in the NFL playoffs, the biggest question remains: What will become of head coach Matt LaFleur?

LaFleur’s contract with the Packers reportedly runs through the end of the 2026 season, and no coach, executive or player enjoys the security – or lack thereof – of a one-year deal.

But, as it goes, plans change in the NFL. Could the wild-card loss vs. the Bears be the last that LaFleur coaches for the Packers?

Here’s what the Packers head coach said about his job security following the loss:

Will the Packers fire Matt LaFleur?

LaFleur’s job security entering the Packers’ matchup against the Bears in the wild-card round was seemingly strong, with the two sides reportedly set to discuss a contract extension that would keep him in Green Bay beyond 2026.

Rapoport added that LaFleur wouldn’t be ‘coaching for his job’ on Saturday night.

The head coach didn’t want to speak on his contract status or potential negotiations in the immediate aftermath of the loss to the Bears.

‘With all due respect to your question, Pete, now’s not the time for that,’ LaFleur said. ‘I’m just hurting for these guys. I can only think about what just happened, and there will be time for that.’

LaFleur didn’t answer further questions positing his job status or the team’s confidence in him, but said that being the head coach of the Packers ‘means everything’ to him.

If there’s any consolation for LaFleur, it’s that Packers president Ed Policy isn’t necessarily in favor of a coach entering a season on an expiring contract.

“I’m generally opposed – I’d never say never – [but] I’m generally opposed to a coach or GM going into the last year of their contract,’ Policy said in June 2025. ‘That creates a lot of issues. I think normally you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left – not always, but normally.

‘So I think generally speaking I would avoid ‘lame-duck’ status. It’s oftentimes difficult on everybody involved. But there are certain situations that probably call for it, so I would not say never.’

Could the team’s standing with LaFleur be one of those ‘certain situations?’ Only time will tell.

Matt LaFleur record

Under LaFleur’s watch, the Packers have been one of the most consistent franchises in the NFL. He has an overall record of 76-40-1 and has one season where the Packers have been sub-.500.

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown:

• 2019: 13-3, won NFC North, lost NFC championship
• 2020: 13-3, won NFC North, lost NFC championship
• 2021: 13-4, won NFC North, lost NFC divisional round
• 2022: 8-9, third place in NFC North
• 2023: 9-8, second place in NFC North, lost NFC divisional round
• 2024: 11-6, third place in NFC North, lost wild-card round
• 2025: 9-7-1, third place in NFC North, lost wild-card round

ST. LOUIS — For more than a decade, the U.S. championships have become the playground of Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

It’s felt like the top step of the ice dance podium has had a sign that read “Reserved for Madison Chock and Evan Bates,” like Larry Bird showing up to the 1986 3-point contest and asking, “Who’s coming in second?”

At the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships on Saturday, they took their place on that very same top step, cementing themselves as the great American ice dance dynasty. It is their seventh national title, breaking a tie with Meryl Davis and Charlie White for most all-time.

‘The feeling that we got front he audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

In typical fashion, Chock and Bates set themselves up for success by rocking their short program. They earned a season-best score of 91.70 on Thursday, nearly six points ahead of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik in second place, a comfortable margin for the pair.

The quality of their free dance program meant only a monumental mess would have left wiggle room for other competitors.

But their free skate felt more like a coronation than a competition. The “Paint it Black” program features Chock as a matadora and Bates as a bull, and they brought the intensity, highlighted by their step sequence that brought out the fairy Paso Doble influence that had the crowd in awe.

Ultimately, their free dance yielded a double-digit victory. Chock and Bates finished with a program score of 137.17 and a total score of 228.87, 15.22 points than the second place team of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

‘I think our performance today was definitely the best that we’ve skated the free dance all year,’ Bates said. ‘It’s a great feeling going into a big event knowing that you’ve skated well at the previous competition.’

It’s pretty much a full circle moment for Chock. She recalled watching Davis and White, as well as Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, growing up and idolizing them. Little did she know that she would one day surpass their records.

‘I really took that to heart and let it guide me and lead me,’ she said. ‘Hopefully we can leave a little bit of that legacy for the next generation and keep the love for the sport going.’

Here is the full picture of their excellence: This was their sixth championship in the last seven years; all of their titles have come in the past 12 years; they’ve competed in the past 15 U.S. championships; they’ve finished on the podium the last 14 times — and only one of those was a third-place finish.

However, when they were reminded of all the winning they had been doing at the U.S. Championships, Bates thought of how difficult it was to win their second title in 2020 after their first in 2015, how it wasn’t an easy ride to get to this point.

‘Those years where we felt the struggle set us up for this run now we’ve been enjoying for the last few years. The domestic rivalries that we had through that span of time sharpened us for international competition,’ he said.

All that’s missing from their decorated career is that Olympic medal. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, they will be determined to come out on top at their fourth Olympics.

‘We know what to do,’ Chock said. ‘We have our plan. We’re executing it, and we don’t plan on deviating from it. We’re going to stick to it, trust ourselves, trust our team, and do what we know how to do.’

The Chicago Bears’ improbable 31-27 home victory over the Green Bay Packers capped off a wild first day of NFL playoff action with a wave of celebration in the Windy City.

A Jordan Love fumble of the snap, wild scramble and eventual incompletion sealed Chicago’s first playoff victory in 15 years, sending the Bears to an NFC divisional round matchup against either Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams.

But first, there was the party in Chicago. Here are the best sights and sounds from the conclusion of the Jan. 10 wild card playoff game.

A fumble, scramble and heave: See the Packers’ last gasp against the Bears

Love and the Packers had a final chance to win the game from the Bears’ 28-yard line, but it certainly didn’t go as planned:

Rome Odunze takes down Ben Johnson in Bears’ celebration

The Bears’ rookie receiver and coach enjoyed the win together, with Johnson ending up on the Soldier Field turf.

ST. LOUIS — Ilia Malinin won his fourth consecutive U.S. figure skating championship on Saturday, the “Quad God” bringing the crowd to its feet in his final competition before he makes his Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

The free skate earned him a 209.78, bringing his championship-winning score to 324.88, a whopping 57.26 points ahead of second-place Andrew Torgashev and 75.72 points ahead of third-place Maxim Naumov. Malinin, who’s been breaking in new skates, did three quad jumps in his free skate, what he called playing it safe.

“I was coming into this one, I was a little unsure what I was gonna do, so I decided not to go for any risks and I wanted to play it safe because I know that hopefully in a few weeks I’ll have to go again,’ he said.

He said he will ‘really try to get comfortable with (the new skates), and I’m sure in a few weeks they’ll be in perfect condition, so I’m really looking forward to that process.”

Earlier Saturday, the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates captured their seventh national title, an all-time record. It’s their fifth consecutive championship and it propels them to their fourth Olympic games together. U.S. Figure Skating will announce the 2026 Olympic team on Sunday.

‘The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

Watch our exclusive conversation with Ilia Malinin in the debut episode of ourMilan Magic Olympics podcast. Subscribe and listen:Apple Podcasts |Spotify |Amazon

Check out all the results and highlights from Day 4 of nationals below.

US figure skating championships results, standings

Here are the overall men’s standings.

1. Ilia Malinin: 324.88
2. Andrew Torgashev: 267.62
3. Maxim Naumov: 249.16
4. Jacob Sanchez: 249.07
5. Tomoki Hiwatashi: 247.24
6. Liam Kapeikis: 235.13
7. Daniel Martynov: 229.95
8. Jason Brown: 227.52
9. Lucius Kazanecki: 227.07
10. Kai Kovar: 225.75
11. Jimmy Ma: 225.71
12. Lorenzo Elano: 213.34
13. Goku Endo: 203.42
14. Michael Xie: 196.78
15. Samuel Mindra: 190.04
16. Emmanuel Savary: 188.14
17. Will Annis: 175.80
18. Ken Mikawa: 145.91

Here are the free skate scores.

• Ilia Malinin: 209.78 total segment score, 116.17 technical elements score, 93.61 program components score.
• Andrew Torgashev: 182.63 total segment score, 95.69 technical elements score, 86.94 program components score.
• Jacob Sanchez: 167.80 total segment score, 85.24 technical elements score, 82.56 program components score.
• Maxim Naumov: 163.44 total segment score, 80.08 technical elements score, 83.36 program components score.
• Tomoki Hiwatashi: 157.98 total segment score, 76.29 technical elements score, 81.69 program components score.
• Liam Kapeikis: 156.27 total segment score, 79.46 technical elements score, 76.81 program components score.
• Lucius Kazanecki: 151.35 total segment score, 78.95 technical elements score, 72.40 program components score.
• Jimmy Ma: 150.15 total segment score, 73.96 technical elements score, 77.19 program components score.
• Kai Kovar: 148.84 total segment score, 73.41 technical elements score, 75.43 program components score.
• Daniel Martynov: 148.32 total segment score, 73.56 technical elements score, 75.76 program components score.
• Lorenzo Elano: 141.69 total segment score, 69.19 technical elements score, 73.50 program components score.
• Jason Brown: 139.03 total segment score, 58.98 technical elements score, 82.05 program components score.
• Michael Xie: 136.83 total segment score, 72.40 technical elements score, 64.43 program components score.
• Goku Endo: 130.74 total segment score, 56.91 technical elements score, 73.83 program components score.
• Emmanuel Savary: 127.93 total segment score, 59.63 technical elements score, 70.30 program components score.
• Samuel Mindra: 125.02 total segment score, 53.76 technical elements score, 71.26 program components score.
• Will Annis: 120.85 total segment score, 56.27 technical elements score, 64.58 program components score.
• Ken Mikawa: 94.22 total segment score, 40.04 technical elements score, 55.18 program components score.

Ilia Malinin ‘Quad God’ nickname

Simply put, Ilia Malinin has the greatest array of jumps any figure skater in history has ever possessed. He’s launched himself into the air for seven quadruple jumps in a single long program at last month’s Grand Prix Final and was the first skater to land a quad Axel.

Malinin’s username used to be Lutz God, but he changed it to Quad God after landing his first quad jump. 

“I didn’t think much about it … Days go by and people started asking, ‘Why’d you name yourself Quad God, you only landed one jump,’’ he said on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday. ‘And then I was like, ‘Oh, OK maybe I should be come a Quad God.’ From there I found my rhythm of landing quad after quad after quad and then of course landing the first quad axel.”

“In the most humble way possible, I think it’s definitely helped my confidence in not only to skating in general but just feeling like I deserve to be recognized as who I am.”

Andrew Torgashev dazzles, then gets pizza

We’ve reached the point of the lineup where the fight is on for the final men’s spots in the Olympics, and Andrew Torgashev made his case with a big statement.

He had an exceptional skate, starting with two quad toeloops to get the rhythm going and closing it with a tough choreo sequence. He got a standing ovation, and then got a box of pizza to celebrate it.

He received a season-best 182.63, and is now in first with a combined score of 267.62.

Jacob Sanchez’s emotional free skate

The future is bright for Jacob Sanchez, as the 18-year-old put on an exceptional performance in his free skate to take first place through Group 2. He began to cry once he completed his program as the crown serenaded him with an ovation. He was then greeted by his family just outside the rink as they waved their Puerto Rican flags.

Sanchez has had a meteoric rise since joining the senior ranks in November 2024, putting himself in the conversation for the third and final men’s spot on the Olympic team. Regardless of whether he makes it, Sanchez is making a name for himself and will be one to watch in the next Olympic cycle.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates win 7th US figure skating championship

Madison Chock and Evan Bates have another ice dance record.

The husband-and-wife duo have been on the podium at U.S. nationals every year since 2013. They have won five straight ice dance titles. And now they hold the record for most U.S. titles of all time, breaking a tie with Meryl Davis and Charlie White for most all-time.

‘The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

Ultimately, their free dance yielded a double-digit victory — a program score of 137.17 and a total score of 228.87, 15.22 points than the second place team of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

It’s just the latest feat in what’s been a dominant season for the married couple. Since the start of 2025, they have won all but one of the seven competitions they entered, including winning the Grand Prix final in December for the third straight year.

The couple’s return to the Winter Olympics is all but official, making Milano Cortina their fourth Games. The only thing that’s eludes them in their decorated careers is that ice dance Olympic medal after finishing just short of the podium in 2022.

Ilia Malinin’s parents

Malinin was born into figure skating. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, is from the Soviet Union, Siberia specifically, and competed at 10 consecutive world figure skating championships for Uzbekistan. She finished eighth at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the competition in which Tara Lipinski won the gold medal and Michelle Kwan the silver. Malinina finished fourth at the 1999 world championships as well, and she also competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but withdrew after the short program with the flu.

Malinin’s father, Roman Skorniakov, represented Uzbekistan at the same two Olympics, 1998 and 2002, finishing 19th both times. He and Malinina were married in 2000 and became skating coaches in the United States, moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where, in December 2004, Ilia was born. He took the Russian masculine form of his mother’s last name because his parents were concerned that Skorniakov was too difficult to pronounce. 

Who is on the US Olympic figure skating team?

The team will be named on Sunday at 2 p.m. Three men and three women singles skaters will be chosen, as will three ice dance teams and two pairs, 16 athletes in all. The USFS selection process includes past performances, focusing on the athlete’s body of work over the past two seasons.

Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito are roster locks, as are Madison Chock and Evan Bates. That leaves two spots open on the men’s side, two ice dance team spots and both pairs spots.

How does Ilia Malinin train for his quad jumps?

Malinin shared with Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday, that he likes to skate a full program at least once a day, but that doesn’t mean every jump in that practice session must be a quad. It depends on how his body feels.

“For me, at least the standard base can be all triple jumps, just to keep that stamina, just to keep that stamina in there. But then, of course, depending on how I feel or how the training is going, then I can say, ‘Maybe tomorrow I can go for a full quad layout or maybe do a full quad and the rest can be triples.’ 

“I think the main focus for me is just running the whole program in itself with all the jumps, all the spins and really just getting that muscle memory in your head because I think a lot of the times, especially with me, if I do a certain amount of triple jumps and I feel comfortable with it, then I can go and the quad jumps will get a little easier for me because I’ve been practicing that muscle memory for a while.”

Ice dance overall standings

1. Madison Chock and Evan Bates: 228.87
2. Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik: 213.65
3. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko: 206.95
4. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons: 202.05
5. Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville: 197.29
6. Oona Brown and Gage Brown: 194.31
7. Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski: 186.60
8. Leah Neset and Artem Markelov: 176.46
9. Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani: 173.17
10. Amy Cui and Jonathan Rogers: 172.39
11. Eva Pate and Logan Bye: 170.49
12. Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal: 169.60
13. Raffaella Koncius and Alexey Shchepetov: 166.62
14. Isabella Flores and Linus Colmor: 160.75
15. Vanessa Pham and Anton Spiridonov: 158.62

Here are the free dance scores.

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates: 137.17 total segment score, 77.89 technical elements score, 59.28 program components score.
• Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik: 127.67 total segment score, 72.17 technical elements score, 55.50 program components score.
• Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko: 123.66 total segment score, 69.24 technical elements score, 54.42 program components score.
• Oona Brown and Gage Brown: 118.59 total segment score, 67.15 technical elements score, 51.44 program components score.
• Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville: 117.86 total segment score, 66.38 technical elements score, 51.48 program components score.
• Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski: 111.61 total segment score, 62.33 technical elements score, 49.28 program components score.
• Leah Neset and Artem Markelov: 105.18 total segment score, 57.74 technical elements score, 47.44 program components score.
• Amy Cui and Jonathan Rogers: 104.79 total segment score, 59.23 technical elements score, 45.56 program components score.
• Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani: 101.93 total segment score, 54.63 technical elements score, 47.30 program components score.
• Raffaella Koncius and Alexey Shchepetov: 101.47 total segment score, 57.27 technical elements score, 44.20 program components score.
• Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal: 100.00 total segment score, 55.38 technical elements score, 44.62 program components score.
• Vanessa Pham and Anton Spiridonov: 97.21 total segment score, 54.07 technical elements score, 43.14 program components score.
• Eva Pate and Logan Bye: 96.95 total segment score, 51.15 technical elements score, 46.80 program components score.
• Isabella Flores and Linus Colmor Jepsen: 94.38 total segment score, 51.44 technical elements score, 42.94 program components score.
• Caroline Green and Michael Parsons: 121.50 total segment score, 68.06 technical elements score, 53.44 program components score.

Ice dancing vs. figure skating

Ice dancing does not feature jumps or lifts, like you see figure skating pairs execute. Ice dancing is made up of two segments, the rhythm dance and the free dance.

How does Ilia Malinin come up with his programs?

It takes an innovative mind to be as sensational as Malinin, and his creative process is far from ordinary. He said much of it comes from his love of gymnastics and acrobatics, which is the reason why he’s able to perform so much stunning jumps.

“It really pushes me to push the envelope in skating, not only just in a performance aspect, but also give it even more athleticism, other than all the jumps, all the spins and all of the hard things,” he said. “It gives me a lot of fun, but at the same time, I feel like it’s very useful for the sport to bring in something new, so everyone has something unique to watch.”

When do 2026 Winter Olympics start?

The opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Games is Feb. 6. The closing ceremony is Feb. 22.

Milan Magic: Listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

After a one-season stopover in Boston, Alex Bregman found his permanent home with another of Major League Baseball’s most storied franchises − the Chicago Cubs.

Bregman and the Cubs agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract Jan. 10, according to a person with direct knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized.

And so ends Bregman’s second crack at free agency, after his initial go-round ended with him signing a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox that contained opt-out clauses after every season. Bregman exercised that right knowing he’d be unencumbered by draft pick compensation and likely fare much better.

It took a couple months, but his strategy worked out with the Cubs extending the largest average annual deal − $35 million per season − in franchise history.

He’ll join Dansby Swanson on the left side of the Cubs infield and inject a swagger into a club that was eliminated in the NL Division Series by the Milwaukee Brewers this past season.

Swanson and Bregman were chosen No. 1 and 2 overall in the 2015 draft by Arizona and Houston, respectively, Bregman responding to the snub by wearing No. 2 throughout his career.

The Cubs deployed rookie Matt Shaw at third base last season, and he showed progress on both sides of the ball as the season progressed. However, he finished with a .226 average and an adjusted OPS worse than league average; Cubs third basemen finished 29th in OPS (.621) and 27th in homers (11). The club may also lose second baseman Nico Hoerner to free agency after 2026, potentially creating everyday room for both Bregman and Shaw.

Bregman was an All-Star in his lone season with Boston, hitting 17 home runs with an .821 OPS, helping the Red Sox get back to the playoffs for the first time in four years despite being limited to 114 games by injury.

A two-time champion (2017, 2022) with the Houston Astros, Bregman has been one of MLB’s most productive players since debuting in 2016. Bregman’s best year was 2019, slugging 41 home runs with 112 RBIs and a 1.015 OPS but the Astros lost the World Series in seven games.

Bregman was implicated in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal but faced no punishment from the league as Houston players were granted immunity for cooperating with MLB’s investigation.

Alex Bregman contract details

Bregman is signing a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. It contains no opt-outs.

Alex Bregman stats

Bregman has an .846 career OPS in 1,225 games since making his debut for the Astros in 2016.

• 2025: 3.5 WAR, 18 HR, 62 RBIs in 114 games
• 2024: 4.1 WAR, 26 HR, 75 RBIs in 145 games
• 2023: 4.9 WAR, 25 HR, 98 RBIs in 161 games
• 2022: 4.5 WAR, 23 HR, 93 RBIs in 155 games
• 2021: 2.3 WAR, 12 HR, 55 RBIs in 91 games
• 2020: 6 HR, 22 RBI in 42 games (COVID season)
• 2019: 8.9 WAR, 41 HR, 112 RBIs in 156 games
• 2018: 7.6 WAR, 31 HR, 103 RBIs in 157 games
• 2017: 4.3 WAR, 19 HR, 71 RBIs in 155 games
• 2016: 2.1 WAR, 8 HR, 34 RBIs in 49 games

Don’t call it a comeback.

It’s business as usual for the 2025 Chicago Bears, who live for the drama. They faced an 18-point halftime deficit. They faced an 11-point deficit with just under seven minutes to go. They trailed by three with just under three minutes to go.

None of that mattered.

In a true tortoise and the hare moment, Caleb Williams and the Bears crossed the finish line first to claim victory in the NFC wild-card game, defeating the rival Green Bay Packers, 31-27.

The comeback kids will now advance to the divisional round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, when they’ll host another game at Soldier Field. It was a familiar story for Ben Johnson’s Bears, who have flirted with disaster all season long before pulling off an improbable comeback in the final moments.

Even with that, this was a comeback for the history books. It was the Bears’ biggest postseason comeback in franchise history, which was capped by DJ Moore’s 25-yard touchdown from Williams with just 1:48 to go in regulation.

The NFL’s oldest rivalry has seen a lot through the years, but nothing like this. Chicago’s comeback is the story, but Green Bay’s first-half dominance will be forgotten after a second-half collapse when they were outscored 25-6 in the fourth quarter.

After all, it’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.

Here’s how the action unfolded in a wild, wild-card matchup between the Bears and Packers. USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from the Bears-Packers game.

Bears vs. Packers takeaways

• The Bears are never out of it: Chicago had every reason to quit. They were down three scores and the home crowd was demoralized as the Bears’ hated rival got whatever they wanted and more in the first half. Chicago had costly fourth-down failures that gifted the visitors great field position. Despite having every reason to pack it up, the Bears kept fighting like they had all year. It’s a great quality to have in a team and the type of stuff champions are made of. Time will tell if they get there, but you’d have to be crazy to count them out now.
• Not all fourth downs are created equal: Being aggressive is one thing. Being reckless is another. Ben Johnson put on his Dan Campbell hat at points tonight, going for it on fourth down regardless of field position. While Chicago’s defense couldn’t get a stop in the first half, those decisions put the Bears in an almost impossible situation. Everyone likes to go for it on fourth down, but it will eventually cost them. Sometimes you just have to live to fight another down.
• Chicago will need 60-minute efforts to win the Super Bowl: The Bears have spent most of this season playing 30-minute games. Unfortunately for them, NFL games are at least 60 minutes in length. As the stakes get higher going forward, Chicago might not be able to rely on pulling off improbable comebacks in the fourth quarter. The Packers couldn’t seal the deal, but everything had to go wrong for them to lose. It’s hard to believe that it can happen three more times for Chicago to win the Super Bowl. They need to start better going forward.
• The Packers have a Matt LaFleur problem: Again, the Packers had to have everything go wrong for them to lose. The defense couldn’t hold the lead. The offense was stuck in quicksand for almost the entire second half. The costly penalties. The lack of awareness of the play clock. At some point, all of that comes down to coaching. The Packers played the second half like a team that already booked their flights and accommodations for Seattle next week. Now, if they want to use them, it’ll be because they bought a ticket to watch the Seahawks play the Rams or 49ers.

Caleb Williams stats vs. Packers

• 24-of-48 (50% completion rate)
• 361 passing yards
• 2 passing touchdowns
• 2 interceptions
• 71.6 passer rating
• 4 rushing attempts
• 20 rushing yards
• 0 rushing touchdowns

Jordan Love stats vs. Bears

• 24-of-46 (52.1% completion rate)
• 323 passing yards
• 4 passing touchdowns
• 0 interceptions
• 103.8 passer rating
• 1 rushing attempt
• 11 rushing yards
• 0 rushing touchdowns

Bears. Packers wild-card playoff game highlights

Bears vs. Packers final score: Chicago 31, Green Bay 27

Bears vs. Packers score update: Chicago comes all the way back to take the lead

Caleb Williams to DJ Moore. Touchdown. Bears lead.

Hours ago, that would’ve been unimaginable. These Chicago Bears are all about making the unimaginable, imaginable though. They have erased an 18-point halftime deficit to take a four-point lead with 1:43 to go.

Bears 31, Packers 27

Bears vs. Packers score update: Caleb Williams finds Olamide Zaccheaus to keep the Bears alive

They don’t quit. Just when you thought the Bears could be put on ice, Williams and co. answer with a 10-play, 76-yard drive in just 2:18 to cut the deficit to three. It took some heroics from the quarterback on fourth down, but Zaccheaus scored the touchdown and Colston Loveland got the two-point conversion. It hasn’t been pretty, but the Bears are one stop away from being able to tie or take the lead.

Packers 27, Bears 24

Bears vs. Packers score update: Matthew Golden’s first career TD pushes Chicago to the brink

The Packers’ offense finally woke up when they needed it most. After avoiding disaster on the kickoff, Green Bay only needed six plays to march 54 yards to answer Chicago’s touchdown with one of its own. Golden gets his first career touchdown on the 23-yard catch-and-run, but Brandon McManus misses the extra point to keep the lead at 11. That could prove important in the final minutes.

Packers 27, Bears 16

Bears vs. Packers score update: D’Andre Swift TD makes it a one-possession game

Well, hopefully you haven’t changed that streaming service. This one just got interesting. Swift and the Bears are all the back way into this contest, trailing by only five with 10 minutes to go. The comeback kids marched 66 yards in just seven plays. Now Jordan Love and the Packers have to get their offense back in gear to avoid an embarrassing collapse.

Packers 21, Bears 16

Bears vs. Packers score update: Cairo Santos cuts Green Bay’s lead to 12

For the first time in a long time, we have points on the board. The Bears’ comeback hasn’t really taken shape yet, but they’re slowly cutting into the lead. Green Bay’s offense continues to struggle in the second half, but it remains to be seen if Chicago will have enough time to erase the 12-point deficit with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Packers 21, Bears 9

Who is the Packers’ defensive coordinator?

Jeff Hafley is the Packers’ defensive coordinator. His unit put on a masterclass in the opening 30 minutes of their wild-card matchup against the Chicago Bears. Hafley has risen through the ranks and become a potential candidate for head coaching jobs this offseason. Despite being a coordinator at the NFL level, Hafley does have experience as a head coach. He held that job at Boston College from 2020 to 2023.

Bears vs. Packers score update: Packers take a three-possession lead on Doubs TD

It’s all Packers in the first half. After another failed fourth-down attempt by the Bears, the Packers enjoy a short field and, eventually, another end zone celebration. Love tosses his third touchdown of the first half, this time finding Romeo Doubs on fourth-and-goal to open up an 18-point lead.

Packers 21, Bears 3

Bears vs. Packers score update: Jayden Reed TD extends the Green Bay lead

The Bears’ defense can’t get off the field. It’s now two drives and two touchdowns for the visiting Packers, who take advantage of Caleb Williams’ interception. This time, it’s Love finding Reed for the 18-yard score as a dominant first half continues for the Green Bay signal caller. It puts a bow on the 10-play, 87-yard drive with just under seven minutes left in the half. Packers 14, Bears 3

Packers 14, Bears 3

T.J. Edwards injury update

Edwards was carted off the field with a foot injury. The linebacker’s foot was twisted significantly after being caught with Christian Watson’s in what was an ugly-looking injury. He has battled injuries throughout the 2025 season, limiting him to just 10 games. Now the Bears will have to replace the seventh-year linebacker, who was supposed to be the glue in the middle of that defense.

How old is Al Michaels?

Michaels is 81 years old and will continue calling games through at least the 2026 season, when he’ll turn 82. The legendary announcer has been the play-by-play voice for the NFL on Amazon Prime since 2022.

Bears vs. Packers score update: Packers answer with a Christian Watson TD

Classic rivalry. The Bears got the field goal. The Packers had to one-up the home team and marched down the field for a Love-to-Watson seven-yard TD to cap off the nine-play, 85-yard drive in just under five minutes. Chicago’s defense showed little resistance on this series, as Love sliced and diced his way through the Bears without showing any signs of rust.

Packers 7, Bears 3

What does ‘GSH’ on the Bears uniform mean?

That acronym is a reference to the team’s founding owner, George Stanley Halas Sr. It has been incorporated into Chicago’s uniforms since 1983, following his death at age 83.

Bears vs. Packers score update: Bears strike first with Cairo Santos FG

The Bears certainly aren’t in a hurry. Chicago opens the scoring by eating up most of the opening quarter with a 16-play drive that takes 7:58 off the clock. Despite that hard work, the Bears settled for a 27-yard field goal from Santos to grab the early lead.

Bears 3, Packers 0

What is the temperature in Chicago? Bears vs. Packers weather update

The temperature at tonight’s kickoff is 33 degrees but feels like 17 degrees in Chicago at Soldier Field.

How to watch the Bears vs. Packers playoff game?

• TV: National: N/A | Fox 32 (Chicago) | NBC 26 (Green Bay) and Fox 6 (Milwaukee)

The Bears-Packers matchup will not be broadcast nationally because it’ll be streamed exclusively on Prime Video. It will be available in local markets for both teams.

What time is the Bears vs. Packers playoff game?

• Start time: 8 p.m. ET

The Bears and Packers are scheduled for kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

Bears vs. Packers stream

• Live stream: Prime Video

The Bears-Packers contest will stream exclusively on Prime Video.

Watch the Bears and Packers wild-card matchup on Prime

Bears vs. Packers prediction, picks

Here’s what the experts at USA TODAY think will happen in the Bears vs. Packers playoff matchup in the wild-card round:

• Jarrett Bell: Bears 20, Packers 17
• Nick Brinkerhoff: Bears 27, Packers 23
• Chris Bumbaca: Packers 31, Bears 28
• Nate Davis: Bears 27, Packers 23
• Tyler Dragon: Packers 27, Bears 24
• Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Bears 28, Packers 21

Bears vs. Packers odds, moneyline, O/U

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Line last updated Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

• Over/Under (O/U): 44.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
• Moneyline (ML): Packers -118 (Bet $118 to win $100) | Bears -102 (Bet $102 to win $100)
• Against the spread (ATS): Packers -1 (-115) | Bears +1 (-105)

Bears vs. Packers weather report

The temperature is expected to be 32 degrees around kickoff in Chicago. There are snow flurries in the forecast, but not accumulating and wind gusts will max out at 21 MPH.

Is Jordan Love playing today vs. Bears?

Yes, the Green Bay Packers quarterback is expected to start tonight’s wild-card playoff game against the Bears. Love missed Green Bay’s final two games of the season after suffering a concussion in Week 16.

Chicago Bears inactives today vs. Packers

• QB Case Keenum
• S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
• LB Ruben Hyppolite
• DE Joe Tryon-Shouinka
• WR Jahdae Walker
• LB Amen Ogbongbemiga
• OL Luke Newman

Green Bay Packers inactives today vs. Bears

• QB Desmond Ridder (emergency 3rd QB)
• WR Dontayvion Wicks
• CB Jaylin Simpson
• DL Collin Oliver
• T Zach Tom
• WR Jakobie Keeney-James

NFC North standings

1. Chicago Bears (11-6)
2. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)
3. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
4. Detroit Lions (9-8)

NFL wild card playoff schedule

All times Eastern.

Saturday, Jan. 10

• Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4:30 p.m., FOX
• Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday, Jan. 11

• Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS
• Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 p.m., FOX
• New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m., NBC

Monday, Jan. 12

• Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans, 8:15 p.m., ABC/ESPN

NFL playoff picture: NFC bracket

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)
2. Chicago Bears (11-6, NFC North winners)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6, NFC East winners)
4. Carolina Panthers (8-9, NFC South winners)
5. Los Angeles Rams (12-5, wild card No. 1)
6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 2)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1, wild card No. 3)

Bears schedule 2025

Packers schedule 2025

2026 NFL Draft order

Here’s a look at the latest draft order entering wild-card weekend, via Tankathon. Record indicates that of the original owner of the pick:

1. Las Vegas Raiders: 3-14 record; .538 strength of schedule
2. New York Jets: 3-14, .552
3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-14; .571
4. Tennessee Titans: 3-14, .574
5. New York Giants: 4-13; .524
6. Cleveland Browns: 5-12, .486
7. Washington Commanders: 5-12; .507
8. New Orleans Saints: 6-11; .495
9. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-11; .514
10. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-11; .521
11. Miami Dolphins: 7-10; .488
12. Dallas Cowboys: 7-9-1; .438
13. Los Angeles Rams (from ATL): 8-9; .495
14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9; .507
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9, .529
16. New York Jets (from IND): 8-9; .540
17. Detroit Lions: 9-8; .490
18. Minnesota Vikings: 9-8; .514
19. Carolina Panthers: 8-9, .522
20. Dallas Cowboys (from GB): 9-7-1; .483
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7; .503
22. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6; .458
23. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6; .476
24. Buffalo Bills: 12-5, .471
25. Chicago Bears: 11-6; .458
26. San Francisco 49ers: 12-5, .498
27. Houston Texans: 12-5; .522
28. Los Angeles Rams: 12-5, .526
29. Cleveland Browns (from JAX): 13-4; .478
30. New England Patriots: 14-3; .391
31. Denver Broncos: 14-3; .422
32. Seattle Seahawks: 14-3; .498

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Don’t expect John Harbaugh to hit the interview circuit in its entirety.

The former Baltimore Ravens head coach told Fox Sports on Jan. 10 that he planned to narrow down his list of teams he is interested in speaking with to three or four organizations before beginning talks after this weekend.

Harbaugh, 63, was fired by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday after an 8-9 season. His 18-year run with the franchise ranked as the second-longest tenure among active coaches.

Upon his dismissal, Harbaugh became the most notable candidate on the open market. He was widely linked to the New York Giants in the early going, though the Miami Dolphins emerged as a potential option Thursday by firing coach Mike McDaniel.

The other teams with vacancies are the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders.

While Harbaugh is taking his time, several teams have already set their searches in motion, with several different candidates interviewing late this week and others scheduled to follow.

Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder has been suspended three games without pay by the NBA ‘for confronting and attempting to strike another player,’ the league announced Saturday night.

According to the NBA’s news release, Schroder sought out and initiated a confrontation with a player in an arena hallway following the Kings’ 125-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 28 at LA’s Crypto.com Arena.

The incident occurred approximately 40 minutes after the Kings-Lakers game, the league said.

The league did not identify the opposing player, but multiple reports indicate Luka Doncic was the Lakers player who drew Schroder’s ire. The pair were seen getting into it on the court during that night’s game.

Schroder will miss the next three games for Sacramento. His suspension begins Sunday when the Kings host the Houston Rockets.

The last time the Kings played the Rockets was on Dec. 21. Sacramento won the game, 125-124, in overtime after Schroder hit a game-winning 3 and helped force a Kevin Durant miss with 2.2 seconds left.

Schroder will also be forced to sit out against the Lakers and New York Knicks.

The Kings have lost seven-consecutive games, their last win coming on Dec. 27 in a 113-107 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

Dennis Schroder 2025-26 regular season stats

Here are Schroder’s average statistics so far though the 2025-26 regular season.

• Games played: 31
• Minutes: 27.3
• Points: 13.0
• Rebounds: 3.3
• Assists: 5.7
• Steals: 0.8
• Blocks: 0.2
• Field goal %: .413
• 3-point field goal %: .344
• Free throw %: .818